Fox just cut three comedies from its lineup: “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “The Mick,” and “The Last Man on Earth.”
The Andy Samberg and Andre Braugher-led show is just about to wrap is fifth (and now final) season, while Kaitlin Olson’s “The Mick” and Will Forte’s “The Last Man on Earth” already aired their Season 2 and Season 4 closers, respectively.
A Fox insider told TheWrap the network’s added night of “Thursday Night Football” and “a large portion of our new series renewed” as reasons for the trio of cancellations.
While fans appear to be devastated by the news, the cancellations shouldn’t come as a complete shock, based on the shows’ ratings, which had each of them on the bubble. Though “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” is a critical darling and “The Mick” was new enough to see plenty of room for growth, the three comedies were tied for 13th out of 20 scripted Fox shows.
According to the most current data from Nielsen, which includes a week of delayed viewing where available, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” was averaging a 1.2 rating in the advertiser-coveted demographic and 2.7 million total viewers in its 8:30 p.m. Sunday time slot, and “Last Man on Earth” settled for a 1.2 rating and 2.8 million viewers later that night a 9:30. “The Mick” was managing a 1.2 rating and 3.1 million viewers at 9:30 on Tuesdays.
The abrupt axing of the comedies comes just ahead of the series finale of Fox’s long-running Zooey Deschanel-led sitcom “New Girl.”
The series finale of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” will air May 20 at 8:30 on Fox.